Why are my dog's dry, green, painful ears, nose, eyes, and genitals?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

It could be an allergic dermatitis and/or a bacterial skin infection. You could bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo and clean that area with an antiseptic wound cleaner to see if that helps. Otherwise he will need to be examined by a veterinarian for treatment. Your vet can prescribe an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, and/or other medications to help treat the problem.

Dozer could be suffering from serve allergies but lesions like this could also be signs of an autoimmune condition. Also, a bland diet is not a food trial. To rule out food allergies a food trial must be completed. A food trial will last for 8-12 weeks and during that time, Dozer CANNOT eat ANYTHING other than the diet. That means no treats, chewies or even flavored pet toothpaste. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein because it can rule out all types of food allergy. If there is not a positive response to the food trial in 8-12 weeks, I recommend to have the lesion biopsied to look for autoimmune disease. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. I recommend making an appointment to have Tanner seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Tanner in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions. Keep an e-collar (cone) on Tanner to help prevent licking/chewing at the affected areas and to prevent him from rubbing his eyes, as this can lead to infection and damage. It is very important that Tanner be seen by a vet for proper diagnosis and treatment of his eyes to determine if this is an infection, if it is due to allergies or trauma, if it is a corneal ulcer( a scratch on the eye), if it is a condition called "dry eye" that can lead to reduced tear production, or another condition that may need to be treated in a completely different manner. Over-the-counter medications are not recommended for use in treatment without a vet visit, as some types of eye ointments and drops contain steroids that can severely damage an eye that has sustained a corneal ulcer or trauma. Your vet may need to do some tests, which may include a Fluorescein stain to check for scratches, tonometry to test the eye pressures, and a Schirmer tear test to evaluate tear production, based on the vet’s ophthalmic exam findings.

Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. In young dogs like Bowie and based on the description you provided, one common cause can be infection by mites that can live in the hair follicles and lead to hair loss, and secondary bacterial and fungal infections that can develop. I recommend making an appointment to have Bowie seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Bowie in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions.

It could be allergies, and although allergies occur more frequently when dogs are a little older, some younger dogs can be affected too. Since the lesions are itchy parasites (such as demodex, etc.) and infection ( bacterial, fungal) need to ruled out as well. Since your guy is uncomfortable the best plan is to see you vet to test for the above so that the correct treatment is prescribed. If the lesions resolve and recur work up for allergy will likely be recommended. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Lesions on dog's noses can be dry skin, allergies, hyperkeratosis or autoimmune disease. At home you can try giving her an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets but it may not correct the underlying cause. This can however improve over all skin health. There are two brands of food, Royal Canin and Nutro, which are aimed at skin health and they may help as well but again, they may not affect the underlying problem. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.